Chris had been told by his insurer Intana Assist that his claim had been accepted.

“But then I got a letter from the Seattle clinic, where I’d been treated for sickness, saying two bills relating to me remained unpaid and debt collectors would be chasing me if I didn’t settle,” an anxious Chris told Crusader.

“I certainly don’t want end up on a blacklist somewhere. It could cause my entry being blocked in future. I don’t have a £1,000 to pay this bill either,” he added.

Chris, who had taken out his single trip policy through online travel agency Opodo, had sent his paperwork to Intana and been told was the processing was underway.

But when more demands arrived at his home, he became seriously rattled.

Crusader contacted the insurer to alert them and it came back just a couple of days later confirming the account had now been cleared.

Most travellers are aware that medical treatment in the US is super expensive. But we were puzzled by the complications Chris encountered. Was his a one-off problem or symptomatic of the system there?